Zhengzhou insomnia: how to adjust the biological clock?

How to adjust the biological clock?

1. Time difference.

If you suffer from jet lag, taking melatonin supplements may help adjust your body clock. Studies have shown that melatonin may reduce the symptoms of jet lag in people who frequently travel intercontinentally. However, the safety and effectiveness of melatonin have not been fully understood. Long-term use of large doses of melatonin, and when taken together with certain drugs, may lead to a series of adverse reactions. Therefore, please be sure to consult your doctor before taking health products containing melatonin, and do not buy them blindly. In addition, certain sleeping pills may also help with jet lag. However, these drugs may also have side effects, such as headaches, dizziness, and gastrointestinal upset. If you need to take it, please be sure to follow the doctor's advice.

2. Work in shifts.

If work requires night shifts, here are some tips to help us sleep better: No light in the bedroom, draw heavy curtains or wear a sleep mask. Keep the room quiet, or wear earplugs to block out the noise. Avoid caffeinated beverages within a few hours of bedtime. Do not drink alcohol before going to bed, especially do not use alcohol to help sleep. If possible, take a nap during your work break. If you feel strongly unwell, consult your doctor to see if you need to take dietary supplements or medicines.

3. Night owl.

If you are a night owl who is used to going to bed late at night and getting up late in the day, and you are worried that your current sleep schedule affects work and study, you can try the following methods, which may help you fall asleep earlier and sleep better. Get up at a set time every day, no matter what time you go to bed. On weekends (or days when you don't need to wake up early), don't wake up more than an hour later than usual, even if you don't have to. If this method does not work, but you are eager to adjust your work and rest, you can go to the hospital sleep specialist to see a doctor. The doctor will use professional methods to help you adjust your biological clock after assessing your health and sleep conditions. The following are several methods that may be used clinically:

(1) Phototherapy

Light therapy generally uses a high-brightness artificial light box to simulate sunlight, and exposes people with sleep disorders to the light box at a specific time, thereby inhibiting the secretion of melatonin and achieving the effect of regulating the biological clock. For different sleep disorders, the time of irradiation and the intensity of light are also different.

(2) Chronotherapy

"Night owls" need to go to bed a few hours later every night for several days under the guidance of a doctor to reset their biological clock. Chronotherapy generally lasts about 2 weeks. This approach is challenging, requires avoidance of various cues about natural time in the environment, and needs to be strictly implemented clinically in the hospital.